Morel Mushrooms with Spinach

How to make Morel Mushrooms with Spinach Recipe

4 SERVINGS

Ingredients:
6 cups Spinach, young, washed, stalks removed
To taste Salt
1 cup Morel mushrooms, fresh, washed, large
(2 ounces dried) ones may be cut in half
6 tablespoons Unsalted butter
1/4 cup Heavy cream
To taste Salt and pepper
To taste Grated nutmeg

Method:
Blanch the spinach in boiling salted water for 1 minute; drain. Refresh in ice water, drain again. Gently squeeze to remove excess water.

Trim away bases of fresh morels (keep to make stock). Brush and lightly wash and rinse them to make sure they are completely clean and free of grit. (If using dried mushrooms, soak them in warm water for at least 30 minutes. Drain the water and pat the mushrooms dry.)

Melt 1/4 cup (2 ounces, 55 ml) butter, add mushrooms, and heat through.

Add the spinach, cook on high heat, and stir. If too much liquid, drain excess.

Add the cream, bring to boil, and reduce by half.

Correct seasoning and stir in remaining butter.

Chef Tips:
If fresh morel mushrooms are unavailable or too expensive, dried morels can be bsubstituted.The dried mushrooms need to be reconstituted prior to using. Boil a small pot of water, add the dried mushrooms, cover, and remove from the heat. Steep the mushrooms 4 to 5 minutes and remove from the hot water. Generally, the mushrooms expand to 5 times their dried weight, so to get 10 ounces (283 g) of reconstituted mushrooms, use just 2 ounces (57 g) of dried.The water that the mushrooms steep in is flavorful and can be used in a variety of soups and sauces. In addition, dried forest mushroom mix is available at a very reasonable cost.